Introducing: Zane

Captain Zane is head of the outlaw group called the Blood Guard, and he hates authority. While some call him "Zane the insane," there is a method to his madness. Zane doesn't mind the term though, because if people don't know what to expect, it gives him the upper hand.

Zane's purple suit is unusually tailored and it's reinforced with rare green dragon scales, partly for armor but mostly for style. I wonder what Midori has to say about that.

Zane's crew, who he calls the Blood Guard, are a band of outlaws that answer to Zane. One of his main activities seems to be staking out the roads and demanding what he calls a "traveller's tax" to any who would pass. If they refuse, he fights them for the tax, which is why he has skilled fighters on hand such as Vendetta (and someday Troq).

While some see this as mere thieving, Zane does it for much more lofty reasons. He asserts that his power to tax comes from his ability to do so. If no one can stop him, then his law is as good as anyone else's. Or more to the point, why should he listen to Flagstone's law? Why should anyone? It's not like Quince achieved power there legitimately, and even if he had, it's not like Flagstone's laws help the Realm. The Realm is in the worst state it's been in for ages. Resources are draining all over the place, and for what--to produce more of Onimaru's useless clockwork soldiers? Personal freedoms have been sacrificed in the name of "protection," which disgusts Zane. One of Zane's favorite quotes is from the great lawyer Jefferson Degrey: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little safety deserve neither." So why should we care what Flagstone says? Zane's defiance and infamy has become an increasing embarrassment to Flagstone, which is exactly his goal.

Zane took an interest in Grave after realizing that Grave is one of the strongest warriors in the Realm. That's exactly the kind of person he could use on the Blood Guard. Interestingly, his speech to Grave is almost the same as Rook and DeGrey's: that Grave's inaction and disinterest in politics actually condones Flagstone's actions, whether he likes it or not. Zane trash talks whatever it is the golem and lawyer would say to actually do about it though. Something useless about civil disobedience? That just got DeGrey into Daggerfall Prison. Something else useless about some fighting tournament? How about burning the real problem to the ground so a new age can begin? It's true that Zane happens to enjoy blowing things up and burning them to the ground, but that's beside the point. In this case, it's the right thing to do, says Zane!

In a fighting game, Zane is all offense with no defense. In Flash Duel the Landmine is one of his offensive tools:

He can use his Shoulder Ram ability (or the general push ability) to knock people into the Landmine, which then makes them sitting ducks for the next turn.

There's a certain poetry to Zane's mayhem. He likes to have some fun while he's making a statement and crashing the establishment. He has one of the more playful chips in Puzzle Strike:

Crash Potato is a hilarious chip that Zane can trade you for your Crash Gem. Zane gets your valuable Crash Gem while you get his basically terrible Crash Potato. At least you can trade back later, though that will cost you an action. Zane can try to use this window of opportunity when you don't have a real Crash Gem to try to rush you down and end the game.

Zane keeps people on their toes, and he shakes things up. He questions the status quo and seeks to tear it down so we can all have a better future. People have a lot invested in the status quo though, and they see Zane as a dangerous villain.

And with that, the launch of fantasystrike.com is nearly upon us!

Introducing: Vendetta

Vendetta is an undead assassin from the Dreadlands. Not much is known about him or his origins.

Vendetta moves quickly and silently. He has great acrobatic skill as well as great patience. Giant pincers can extend from his arms, giving him huge range with his attacks.

Captain Zane of the Blood Guard encountered Vendetta on the road where three would-be robbers were sprawled out on the ground around him, bloodied. Zane was impressed, and offered to recruit Vendetta to the Blood Guard. Vendetta didn't say much, but he accepted. Zane is happy to have a badass crypt man on his side who slices up anything or anyone who needs slicing.

What Zane doesn't know is that Vendetta is no common foot soldier, and loyalty to Zane isn't exactly Vendetta's priority. Vendetta is actually one of Vandy Anadrose's most elite officers--he serves the Queen of D's. For now, he is her eyes. And as General Onimaru would say, spies are the most valuable asset of any army.

In a fighting game, Vendetta is a poking character who also has fast dives from the walls. In Flash Duel and Puzzle Strike, he actually has exactly the three same ability names: Stun Lock, Acrobatics, and Surgical Strike. Let's look at Surgical Strike in Flash Duel:

Normally, if you attack with a certain numbered card, the opponent must block with that same number. For example, if you attack with a 3, the opponent must block with a 3 or lose the round. Surgical Strike lets Vendetta force the opponent to block with some other numbered card though, and this can really throw them off. Remember that in the 1v1 game, there are only 5 copies of each number, so as soon as Vendetta sees all five copies of a certain number in the discard pile and/or in his own hand, he knows for sure the opponent cannot block that number. Any attack becomes a guaranteed round win at that point, a Surgical Strike indeed.

Here's Puzzle Strike's version:

While discarding a single chip isn't too bad, the Surgical Strike part is that Vendetta chooses exactly which chip that is--for each opponent. He can get rid of his opponent's most important combo piece, or their money, or perhaps most devastatingly...their Crash Gem.

Vendetta is acrobatic, patient, precise, and deadly. Next time we'll meet the final character in the Fantasy Strike Expansion, Captain Zane of the Blood Guard. And that will bring us to 20 characters total, and to the launch of the Fantasystrike.com website!

Introducing: Gwen

Gwen is a former healer who is now afflicted with Shadow Plague.

Gwen grew up helping and healing animals and people, alongside her sister Gloria. They both practiced martial arts together, and travelled the Realm to help others.

While nothing could ever get Gloria down, Gwen was often affected by the personal tragedies they witnessed. They can't save every patient. That said, Gwen was always better in crisis situations because she is the more decisive of the two. Gwen knows that every decision about treating a patient or not treating one is a risk. In a tough situation, one might be tempted to do nothing, or to avoid taking any action that might backfire, but the correct decision is the one that maximizes the patient's chances, whatever that may be. Gwen has a practicality that her more idealistic sister sometimes lacks.

Gwen's understanding of the odds surprised many during her visit to the Pandalands. No one expected the foreign healers to be any good at Pandánte, yet Gwen won quite a bit of gold from Pandas. They were excited by the unexpected turn of events, and they were very grateful for her healing skills as well.

After Gwen's encounter with the undead in the Dreadlands though, she was never the same. There she contracted Shadow Plague. Her skin changed color and her humanity started to fade away, kept in check only by her sister Gloria's healing powers. Gwen grew restless and antsy. At times her adrenaline seems to be in overdrive. Gloria suggested they end their journeys across the Realm, but Gwen insists they keep moving. She isn't always lucid, so it's unclear what she's looking for, if anything.

In gameplay terms, Gwen is dying--she's a character on a clock. During what time she has left, she acts with great speed and desperation. Here's her Shadow Plague from Flash Duel:

Shadow Plague being indestructible means that even Menelker's Into Oblivion ability can't get rid of Shadow Plague. Shadow Plague means Gwen has more cards than her opponents throughout the whole game, but she can never win the final tie-breaker of a match. At that point, her clock has run out.

She has Shadow Plague in Puzzle Strike as well:

Shadow Plague is notable in that it's the worst character chip in the game by far. It's purely a drawback that she must play around. The text on the chip means that she'll add a wound to her deck every turn she draws Shadow Plague (because she'll normally discard Shadow Plague during that turn's cleanup step) unless she spends an action to avoid getting that wound. She can also use the "+pig" icon on other chips to stash Shadow Plague across turns, which means she delays having to discard it.

In exchange for this drawback, Gwen's other chips are incredibly strong. They give her more arrows and more chips than any other character would be allowed to have, and she can cause opponents to discard as well. She's an interesting tension of power with a price.

Gwen is straying close to the boundary between humanity and the undead, and she's ready to rush you down while she still can. Next time we'll cover Vendetta, an assassin who is more calm and more undead than Gwen.

Introducing: Gloria

Gloria is a healer who has helped people and animals her whole life.

Gloria and her sister Gwen worked as veterinary assistants from a young age, helping with the care of animals. They studied medicine and the healing arts, as well as the martial arts to keep themselves strong and centered.

Gloria's cheerfulness is irrepressible. She's easy going and keeps a positive attitude no matter what the situation. This mental attitude has gotten her through the many tragedies and depressing situations in health care. People and animals die, their loved ones grieve, and someone must support them in these tough times. Gloria was always good at that.

One day, men rushed a patient to them, one of the Bull Beasts who was injured in a mining operation. Though the sisters were not especially familiar with his race, their general knowledge of animal and human physiology was enough to treat the poor soul, and mend his injuries. The grateful beast mentioned that his people could use more healers back in the Golden Plains, especially these days. The rate of injuries there has been increasing, he said. The sisters looked at each other, nodded, and thus began their first of many journeys across the Realm, to heal the injured and the sick.

One such journey was to the north, into the Dreadlands. Gloria and Gwen heard rumors that an expedition there was in trouble and needed medical help. Though traveling here was a huge risk, the sisters decided to go where their help was needed. They didn't find any members of the expedition though. Before they could, they heard the sounds of a struggle through the trees and they rushed to investigate. A man who was obviously injured was fighting some sort of undead monstrosity. Seeing one of their kind in trouble, they leapt to assist.

The monster struck Gwen with its needled arm and she writhed on the ground. Gloria and the man forced the creature to retreat. Gloria rushed to Gwen's aid, but then the man collapsed too. Gloria realized who he was based on the markings of his clothes. This was the Exiled Dragon named Menelker. It looked like his lifeforce had been sucked out of him, and he was deathly weak. Strange, as Gwen was struck by the same creature yet her symptoms seemed completely different. 

Gloria faced a decision all too familiar to her: a triage situation. Her sister and the man each needed immediate medical help. Things must be decided in an instant, and it's the kind of thing Gloria hated the most. Gwen was always better at making snap decisions about risks, while Gloria wanted to help everyone. But Gwen now appeared to be passed out, while Menelker was reeling from serious injuries and his skin was turning gray. Though it broke her heart, the man seemed in more immediate danger of the two. She treated him first with a combination of medicine and healing magic in an attempt to stabilize him, then rushed to Gwen. To Gloria's great surprise, during this time Gwen's skin began to turn blue, and something was obviously very wrong with her, moreso than Gloria had first realized. Gloria tended to Gwen's wounds and gave her the healing touch. Though this returned Gwen to consciousness, it was no cure. From this moment on, Gwen would need Gloria's healing abilities just to keep from slipping into darkness.

Menelker recovered, but in some sense, Gwen never did. Despite Gloria's ever-positive outlook, she can't help but wonder if her split-second decision was a grave mistake.

In gameplay terms, it's tricky to make a healing character work. Healing effects have to be very carefully designed or else they are either useless, or lead to matches that never end. In Yomi, her healing is intentionally unreliable and "puzzley," meaning she has to work to setup the healing effects and they can't be repeated forever. In Flash Duel and Puzzle Strike, she has "symmetric" healing effects that help her and her opponent, but clever use of them gets you more mileage than them. Here's Radiant Healing in Flash Duel:

In Flash Duel Gloria is an unusual character in that she has no "tricks," but she's one of the best characters at the fundamentals. Her abilities let her have more cards here and there when she needs them the most. While Radiant Healing can help the opponent, you'll only use it if you know you need a specific card (often to attack with) and you know the odds of drawing one based on what's been played already. For example, if you were 4 away and needed to draw a 4 to attack, you could use Radiant Healing. If you get the 4, great. If you don't, then you'll move or dashing strike or something to end up at a different range than 4 in case your opponent drew it.

Here's Radiant Healing in Puzzle Strike:

In Puzzle Strike, Gloria heals everyone's wounds, including her own. She can also trash her 1-gems in order to get better money density in her deck. While other players can too, Gloria can time this to favor her, and the extra chip draws makes her more likely to take advantage of the effects than her opponents.

Gloria is a bright spot in the shadowy going-ons of the world. Next time we'll meet her shadowy sister Gwen, who is now afflicted with Shadow Plague.

Introducing: Persephone

The myth of the Nox Oracle has many conflicting accounts. The common theme is that a woman in a black dress walks out of the darkness, often accompanied by her two dogs, and makes a memorable night. Some stories depict her as seductive and intoxicating to both men and women. Other stories depict her as cruel and sadistic, while still others portray her as wise and nurturing.

Persephone is her true name.

The most powerful beings of the Realm have several different kinds of power. Quince's power comes from lies, deception, and propaganda. DeGrey's power is his ability to shed light on the truth. Grave's power comes from relentless training and discipline, while Menelker's power is the will to do what others can't or won't do. Persephone's power is tapping into the most base and animal desires and having complete mastery over her own emotions as well as the emotions of others. It's a kind of power that even tough guys like Grave and Menelker aren't prepared to face.

While the stories about Persephone's sadistic nature are not entirely false, they also aren't the whole picture. She does revel in the pain of others, but it's pain mixed with pleasure. Even her unwilling victims become willing during the heightened experiences she creates, and some have said she made them feel "truly alive."

While Persephone enjoys "play," don't forget your place. She is serious and looks after those weaker than her, admiring their inner strength. She understands trends and people as only an outsider can--sometimes we're too close to our own problems to see them. Several times throughout history, Persephone has intervened and changed the course of events to favor those who she believes deserve to be favored.

Generations ago during a day of great turmoil, DeGrey was mortally wounded, impaled by a wooden post. Persephone appeared, and after a bit of "play," offered DeGrey a second chance at life as long as he pursued his mission. DeGrey accepted, and Persephone left a (tormenting) spirit behind to watch over DeGrey. DeGrey owes his unnaturally long life to the Nox Oracle.

Several years ago, when Onimaru claimed the Stormborne Family Sword from Grave's father in battle, Persephone stepped out of the night to retake that sword. Grave was just a young boy, crying as Persephone comforted him and presented him with his father's weapon. It was his now, though she cautioned him never to use it unless it's necessary.

She may have had other adventures, but no one seems to talk about these things.

Persephone's gameplay involves controlling the opponent, and making them take actions that might be painful for them. Here's her Dominance from Flash Duel:

She forces the opponent to move, rather than taking other actions he (or she) might prefer to take. This means Persephone can land on a space that might otherwise be unsafe, then disrupt the opponent's plans to attack by forcing them to move out of position. Even when she doesn't actually play Dominance, it still affects the match because the opponent will often try to stay off the dark spaces on the board to avoid Persephone's charms.

In Yomi, one of Persephone's super moves is Mistress's Command which allows her to control the opponent's turn. She makes them play the worst combat card possible, while she does what she likes to them. One drawback is that characters have only two super moves, and this taking up one of those slots means that she has no high damage super.

In Puzzle Strike, her Mistress's Command is one of the most flashy effects in the game. It's still undergoing development, so the specifics might change.

She can only use her command if the *opponent's* gem pile is the right size, which means it's not easy to set up. If she can play her Command though, she can make the opponent use chips in a backfiring way that they'd normally never do. For example, she can force them to ante a big gem with Risky Move, trash their best chips with No More Lies, or waste their Crash Gem the turn before they need it the most. There's a lot of ways to use Mistress's Command to set up awesome traps, and it will surely be the source of many glorious rage quits.

Persephone is playful, dominating, sadistic, nurturing, and she has your number. Next time we'll cover Gloria, a healer who never gives up hope.